Please could you add your name to this post on the club Facebook page if you are coming to the Xmas ride lunch and state how many meals you require. It is £15.00 per head and includes all food and tips to the servers. Payments need to be on the day, in cash please, directly to John Crisp as he will use this to pay for the event.

Cyclists from Wellingborough and Northampton based 45 Road Club held their annual presentation night on Friday 27th November, celebrating notable achievements and trophy winners for the 2015 season. 20 year old rising star Charlotte Redden won the Road Racer of the year award, achieving her Category 2 licence in her first full year of racing. Other notable winners were Phil Melling winning the fastest 50 and 25 mile Time Trial awards and Steve Peel winning the fastest 10 and overall Time Trial Series trophy.

A raffle on the night raised nearly £200 for the local Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance, with prizes kindly donated by Northampton based Newlec Cycles, Lazer and online fitness platform Zwift.

Every so often, I’ll ride a recreational group ride. I love the camaraderie of cyclists, the talk, the last minute pumps of air, the clicking in, and the easy drifting out as a peloton. “I miss riding in a group,” I’ll think to myself.

The magic ends by mile 10. The group will surge, gap, and separate, only to regroup at every stop sign. I’ll hear fifteen repeated screams of “HOLE!” for every minor road imperfection. And then no mention of the actual hole. Some guy in front will set a PB for his 30 second pull. Wheels overlap, brakes are tapped, and some guy in the back will go across the yellow line and speed past the peloton for no apparent reason. A breakaway?!

I curse under my breath, remembering why I always ride with only a few friends. Doesn’t anyone else realize how dangerous this ride is? How bad it is for our reputation on the road? There are clear rules of ride etiquette, safety, and common sense. Does anyone here know the rules? Who is in charge?

But no one is in charge, and the chaotic group has no idea of how to ride together. As a bike lawyer, I get the complaints from irritated drivers, concerned police, controversy-seeking journalists, and injured cyclists. It needs to get better, but the obstacles are real:

First, everyone is an expert these days. The internet and a power meter do not replace 50,000 miles of experience, but try telling that to a fit forty year-old, new to cycling, on a $5000 bike. Or, god forbid, a triathlete. No one wants to be told what to do.

Second, the more experienced riders just want to drop the others and not be bothered. It is all about the workout, the ego boost, or riding with a subset of friends. But a group ride is neither a race nor cycling Darwinism. As riders get better, they seek to distinguish themselves by riding faster on more trendy bikes; but as riders get better they need to realize two things: 1) there is always someone faster, and 2) they have obligations as leaders. Cycling is not a never ending ladder, each step aspiring upwards, casting aspersions down. It is a club, and we should want to expand and improve our membership.

Third, different rides are advertised by average speed, but speed is only one part of the equation. This approach makes speed the sole metric for judging a cyclist, and creates the false impression that a fit rider is a good one. Almost anyone can be somewhat fast on a bike, but few learn to be elegant, graceful cyclists.

Cottesbrooke - Haselbech Hillclimb
15 riders took part today and the 6 year old course record of 1:43 was taken today with a
brilliant ride by Will Goulbourne (Team Corley) with a 1:37. Winner on the day was Steve
Peel, on a fixie with a superb 1:51, who beat Paul Hardy who also set a personal best by
improving on his last years winning time, by another 2 secs to 1:57.
Congratulations to all who participated, a lot of impressive times, expecially from the 3
juniors who took part, 2 of them, James and Luke who were on their first ever club ride
and first real event well done all.
45RC RidersSteve Peel 00:01:51 PB & Club course record holderPaul Hardy 00:01:57 PB
Evan Hsu 00:02:03
Stuart Burke 00:02:04
Ben Elderton 00:02:13
Tom Perry 00:02:20
Michael Berry 00:02:22
Stephanie Russell 00:02:28
Jame Stovin 00:02:30 Junior (15)
Louis Wan 00:02:32 Junior (15)
Luke Smith 00:03:01 Junior (12)
Guest RidersWill Goulbourne 00:01:37 Corley Cycles (NEW OUTRIGHT COURSE RECORD)
Dan McDonnel 00:02:10 Kings Cliffe Flyers
Stuart Sargeant 00:02:11 ArbisLLP/Colbert Cycles
Stuart Morgan 00:02:20 Mercedes Amg Petronas

The Sunday club ride on the 19th will depart Doddington as normal at 0800, and head out to the hillclimb event at the bottom of Hazelbech Hill ready for the 0930 start. Following the event we will make our way back to Doddington after a tea and cake stop.

In less time than it takes to boil an egg you can you challenge yourself on the annual 45 Road Club Hill Climb. All welcome.
The current course record is 1 minute 43 seconds set by Alan West in 2010. Pro Raleigh Team rider Liam Stones tried to beat this in 2012 and fell short by 1 second! Last years event was wonn by Paul Hardy, in 2:04 I believe, so could you do better?

Try it this Sunday the 19th Sept, 9.30 am at Haselbech-Cottlesbrook Hill. I'm sure Steve Peel will be trying for another win. Seconds out............